Men's Soccer

Brown's Okafor Selected in 2011 MLS Super Draft

Jan 13, 2011

Portions courtesy of Brown Sports Information

BALTIMORE, Md. -- Brown senior Jon
Okafor was selected in the third round of the 2011 MLS
Super Draft with the 40th overall pick by Chivas USA. The
midfielder from Verona, N.J., helped Brown advance to the final-16
of the 2010 NCAA Championship, as the Bears were one of four Ivy
League teams to appear in the tournament.

By selecting Okafor, Chivas USA ensured that an Ivy League
student-athlete was selected in the MLS Super Draft for the fifth
consecutive season. Since the MLS instituted the Super Draft in
2000, 19 Ivy Leaguers have been selected a total of 20 times.

Okafor helped guide the Bears to three NCAA Tournament appearances
in his four-year career and combined for 40 points on 14 goals and
12 assists. In 2010, he led Brown to the third round of the NCAA
tournament, as he saw action in 15 games and ranked second on the
team in scoring with five goals and three assists. Okafor tallied
Brown’s first goal in its 2-1 first-round NCAA victory over
Boston College as the squad finished 12-4-4 overall.

With Okafor’s selection, the Ivy League has seen five
players selected in the last three MLS Super Drafts. Last season,
Harvard’s Andre Akpan and Kwaku
Nyamekye were selected. Akpan was chosen in the second
round with the 22nd overall pick by the Colorado Rapids, while
Nyamekye was selected in the fourth round and 60th overall by the
Columbus Crew. In the 2009 MLS Super Draft, Penn’s
Alex Grendi was chosen 45th overall (3rd round) by
the Columbus Crew and Harvard’s Michael
Fucito was then taken 46th (fourth round) by the Seattle
Sounders.